Synchronizing mechanism for timepieces.



No. 823,682.. PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

A. L. HAHL.

SYNGHRONIZING MEGHANISM FOR TIMEPIEGES.

v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. ze, 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

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g (j ZM/M7@ yM/wa WKZ/@m No. 823,682. PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

' A. L. HAHL.

SYNGHRONIZING. MECHANISM-POR TIMBPIECES.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

SYNCHRONIZING NIECHANISIVI FOR TIIVIEPIEGES.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1906.

Application tiled September 26, 1903. Serial No. 174,777.

To all whom it may concer-71,.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS L. HAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Synchronizing Mechanism for Timepieces; and I declare the following to be a ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to devices for correctingtimepieces, and more particularly to mechanism for synchronizing a series of timepieces.

In order to simultaneously correct the variations in the running of a plurality of timepieces in a given system, it is necessary at predetermined intervals to bring them all into unison with standard time. The timekeeping quality of clocks commonly employed in such systems is sufliciently accurate to render it only necessary to correct them at intervals of twelve hours.

The object of my invention is to provide means for synchronizing the timepieces in a given system at intervals of time, the length of such intervals being determined by the accuracy of the timepieces.

A further object of my invention is to provide a system of timepieces with means for correcting variations of less than thirty seconds in each timepiece, the intervals between corrections being su'lliciently short to avoid any one timepiece either gaining or losing more than thirty seconds.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means for synchronizing the timepieces in a given system, whichwill be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive in manufacture, and efficient in operation.

My invention generally described consists in means for permitting the works in each timepiece in a system to run free from the control of the escapement until the hands on all of the timepieces have moved to a common predetermined position with respect to the dials, means for stopping the movement of the works until arrival of the time indicated by the common predetermined position of the hands, and means for then permitting the worls in all of the timepieces to start in unison under the control of the respective escapements, thereby correcting the individual variations in the several timepieces.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in two convenient and practical forms, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of one form of my invention, so much of the mechanism of a timepiece being shown as is necessary to disclose the connection of my invention therewith 5 Fig. 2:, a view similar to Fig .'l, with the parts in an adjusted position g Fig. 3, a detail view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view of a modiiied embodiment of my invention Fig. 5, a view of the modification shown in Fig. 4, with the parts in an adjusted position; and Fig. 6, a view taken on line 6 6, Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference-letters A and A2 indicate the usual supporting-plates Of'a timepiece, which are commonly united by one or more interposed pillars A.

B indicates the shaft upon which the seconds-hand l) is mounted.

B2 designates the usual pinion-wheel for imparting rotary motion to the shaft B from the mechanism interposed between the same and the mainspring.

B indicates the usual escape-wheel which cooperates with the anchor C to constitute the escapement of the timepiece.

B3 indicates a Enger iXed upon the shaft B and preferably located adjacent to the escape-wheel.

C indicates the shaft upon which the anchor C of the escapement is fixed. C3 indicates a pin xed to the shaft C in any desired manner and extending radially therefrom. The opposite ends of the shaft C are reduced to form pivots which extend through openings formed in the supporting-plates A and A2. The shaft C is operatively connected in IOO any well-known manner with the pendulum or other form of time-measuring device. The shaft C is supported at its opposite ends, so as to be capable of aXial movement, it being normally retained in the position shown in 1 by any suitable means-such, for instance, as the leaf-spring C2, secured at its lower end tothe plate A2 and engaging at its upper end with the pivot c2 of the shaft.

E indicates a magnet which is supported upon the timepiece in any suitable manneras, for instance, by means of a bracket D, secured at its lower end to the inner surface of the plate A2.

F indicates the armature of the magnet, which is fixed to a lever G, the latter being pivotally supported from any suitable pointas, for instance, from an extension of the bracket D. The lower end of the lever G engages the end of the pivot c of the shaft C, which projects beyond the plate A.

The operation of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3 is as follows: Each one of the timepieces in the system is equipped with a magnet and coperating parts, such as above described, the magnets in all of the clocks being connected in an electric circuit. The circuit extends to a central station, at which is located a master-clock or other means for closing the circuit. W'hen it is desired to correct variations in the timepieces in the system, the circuit is closed and the magnet E at each timepiece thereby energized. The armature is drawn by the energized magnet against the pole-piece thereof, thereby swinging the lever G toward the plate A', and through its engagement with the shaft C the latter is forced rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. The movement of the shaft C to the position shown in Fig. 2 carries the anchor C out of the path of movement of the escapewheel B thereby disconnecting the escapement from the works of the timepiece. The movement of the shaft C to the position shown in Fig. 2 brings the pin C3 thereon into the pathbf movement of the finger B3, which is fixed to the shaft B of the seconds-hand. The works of the timepiece consequently runl free from the control of the escapement until the nger B3 engages the pin C3, which stops the works when the seconds-hand occupies a predetermined position with respect to the dial, preferably the point indicating sixty seconds. The circuit of the magnet is continued closed until the time indicated by the seconds-hand arrives, when the circuit is broken and the magnet at each timepiece thereby denergized, which permits the spring C2 to return the shaft C to the position shown in Fig. 1, which moves the anchor into the path of movement of the escape-wheel, thereby placing the escapement in control of the works and also removing the pin C3 from the path of the finger B3. By closing the circuit through the magnets thirty seconds previous to the time which would be recorded by the seconds-hand at each timepiece when the Jringer on the seconds-hand shaft engages the pin on the anchor-shaft and retaining the circuit closed thirty seconds it is obvious that all variations within thirty seconds fast and within thirty seconds slow will be corrected and all of the timepieces be brought into unison with standard time. lf, for example, the finger B3 and pin C3 are so fixed with respect to the dial that when the former engages the latter the seconds-hand points to sixty, it is obvious that immediately upon energizing the magnet the seconds-handwill instantly be moved to indicate sixty, whether it occupies a position one second after sixty or one second before sixty, and consequently by closing the circuit when the standard time is at thirty seconds and continuing the circuit closed for thirty seconds all of the timepieces in the circuit will jump at once from whatever points they may indicate to sixty seconds upon the closing of the circuit, and upon the breaking of the circuit all of the timepieces will start in unison.

Referring more particularly to the modification illustrated in Figs. Ll, 5, and 6, A and A2 indicate the supporting plates, while B and C indicate the seconds-hand shaft and anchor-shaft, respectively. The escapewheel B is provided with a crown-wheel H fixed thereto. A sleeve K surrounds the shaft B and is non-rotatably secured thereto by any suitable means-such, for instance, as a pin k, passing through the shaft B and engaging slots formed in the end of the sleeve. The sleeve Kv carries a finger h', which extends on opposite sides of the shaft distances slightly greater than the radius of the crownwheel. A coil-spring K surrounds the sleeve K and bears at one end upon the pin k and at its opposite end upon the collar k upon the sleeve K. A pin a2 projects from the plate A2 or from any other suitable support and terminates at a point distant from the shaft B slightly less than one of the radial portions of the finger h. E indicates an expansible chamber into which leads a conduit e. The chamber E is supported adjacent to the timepiece in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by means of the bracket d. A bellcrank lever G is pivotally mounted upon the timepiece-as, for instance, by means of a bracket D. One arm of the bell-crank lever extends over the expansible chamber, while the opposite arm is bifurcated, as shown at g', so as to extend on either side of the sleeve and engage the collar 7c thereon.

The operation of the modication of my invention above described is as follows: The tension of the spring K normally maintains the finger h in engagement with the .crownwheel, thereby locking the escape-wheel to the shaft B of the seconds-hand. When it is desired to disconnect the escapement from the works, fluid-pressure is permitted to pass through the conduit e to the chamber E', which is thereby expanded and through the bell-crank lever G moves the sleeve K axially upon the shaft B to the position 'shown IIO in Fig. 5. When the sleeve is moved, through engagement of the bifurcated end g of the lever engaging the coll-ar c, to the position shown in Fig. 5, the escapement is disconnected from the shaft and the works of the timepiece allowed to run free from the control thereof. When the longer of the two radial portions of the finger h comes in contact with the end of the pin a2, the works are stopped. In order to again place the control of the works under the escapement and permit the time ieee to run, the fluid-pressure is exhausted om the chamber E', which permits the expansion of the spring K to restore the parts to the positions shown in Fig. l, at which time the path of movement of the finger h does not bring the same into contact with the pin a2.

It is obvious that any other means than the expansible chamber may be employed to communicate motion to the bell-crank lever by means of fluid-pressure.

All of the clocks in this system are connected up by means of the conduits e with a central station, so that the fluid-pressure is simultaneously admittedy to all of the chambers, so as to disconnect the escapements from the works, and is simultaneously exhausted from the chambers at all of the timepieees when they are to simultaneously start.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved means for synchronizing the timepieces in a given system by means of which all variation within thirty seconds fast or thirty seconds slow are corrected.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a timepiece, of an escapement comprising an escape-wheel fixed upon the seconds-hand shaft and a cooperating anchor, an axially-movable shaft upon which the anchor is mounted, a radial finger fixed upon the seconds-hand-shaft, a pin fixed upon the anchor-shaft, and means for axially moving said anchor-shaft and thereby locating the anchor in a plane out of the path of movement of the escape-wheel and simultaneously locating the fixed pin on the anchor-shaft in the path of movement of the radial finger on the seconds-hand shaft.

2. The combination with a timepiece, of an escapement comprising an escape-wheel fixed upon the seconds-hand shaft and a cooperating anchor7 an axiallyemovable shaft upon which the anchor is mounted, a radial finger fixed upon the seconds-hand shaft, a pin fixed upon the anchor-shaft, a magnet supported upon the timepiece, an armature cooperating with said magnet, a lever actuated by the armature adapted to engage said anchor-shaft and axially move the same thereby locating the anchor-in a plane out of the path of movement of the escape-wheel and simultaneously locating the fixed pin on the anchor-shaft in the path of movement of the radial finger on the seconds-hand shaftA In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS L. I-IAHL.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, C. C. CUNNINGHAM. 

